Coil housing for a refrigerated display case



June 21, 1955 v A. SCHULTZ 2,711,033

con. HOUSING FOR A REFRIGERATED DISPLAY C-ASE Filed May 20, 1952 I" i g. 5 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY United States Patent C) COIL HOUSING FOR A REFRIGERATED DISPLAY CASE Vernon A. Schultz, San Lorenzo, Calif. Application May 20, 1952, Serial No. 288,791

6 Claims. (01. 62-89.6)

The present invention relates to improvements in a coil housing for a refrigerated display case, and its principal object is to provide a coil housing adapted for mounting in the top of the display case and arranged to provide for slow circulation of air through the. coil and the case, and through the entire length of the latter.

My invention is particularly intended for use in connection with display cases used for candy and delicatessen goods, where it is particularly important to prevent the drying of the goods as near as possible.

More particularly, it is proposed to provide a coil housing of the character described in which air is drawn in uniformly from the entire length of the case, and is discharged to pass through and over the coil through the entire length of the case, with a central agency within the housing serving to eflect air circulation in the manner described.

it is further proposed to provide a coil housing of the character described which is simple in construction, easily mounted in the top of the display case, and which draws on the air from the rear of the case, which usually is provided with doors and discharges toward the front of the case facing the customers.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear as the specification proceeds, and the new and novel features of my coil housing will be fully defined in the claims attached hereto. p

The preferred form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming part of this application, in which:

Figure 1 shows a top plan view of my coil housing, with the cover removed and certain portions shown broken away; and

Figure 2, a section taken along line 22 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3, a fragmentary cross-sectional view through the upper portion of a display case, showing the location of the housing therein.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, 1 wish to have it understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the claims attached hereto, Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, my coil housing 1 is shown in Figure 3 as being mounted in the upper portion of a display case 2 having a slanting rear wall 3 with door-openings 4, a slanting front wall 5 usually made of glass and a fiat top- 6, the housing being mounted immediately underneath the top.

My coil housing is in the form of a relatively fiat rectangular box extending preferably through the entire length of the display case. The box has a fiat bottom 7, a flat top 8, a rear wall 9 and end walls It the front of the box being open, as at 11.

A vertical partition 12 extends through the length of the box and rises from the bottom somewhat closer to the front of the box than to the rear. It rises to a height about three-quarters that of the box, and is joined, at its approximately four inches.

' 2,711,083 Patented June 21, 1955 mounted therein, the coil comprising a plurality of tubes extending horizontally substantially through the entire length of the box. A suitable screen 18 may be provided in front of the coil.

The bottom of the box is formed, near-the rear wall of the latter, with an alined series of perforations 19 extend-' ing through the length of the box, the outei perforations being preferably made slightly larger than the inner ones;

as shown, to render the draft substantially uniform wheri" caused by a central agency.

The bottom of the box is formed with a centrally located opening 2%, and the partition 13 is formed with a registering opening 21 of the same size. The opening" 29 is closed by a cover plate'22 which carries a motor 23. The'latter has a fan 24 mounted on its shaft, the fan being located for revolving in the opening 21 in the partition 13.

A pair of baffles 25 are preferably provided in the upper space 15 to render the pressure in the space 15 substan'- tially uniform for uniform distribution of air over thecoil surfaces.

In operation, as the fan is set in motion, air" is drawn from the rear of the display box' and also from the atmosphere through the airholes 19 over the entire length of the box, and is forced by the fan" into the space 15, also through the entire length of the box to produce a pressure areatherein from which the air is distributed uniformly over the coils 17, also through the entire leng'th of the box.

Since the centrally located fan has a tendency to draw, more strongly on the'near air holes, the air holes toward both ends are increased in size to compensate for the greater distance.

It is also noted that the fan has a certain tendency to create somewhat higher air pressure near the end walls than in the intermediate space, and in order to compensate for this difference, the baffles 25 are provided to equalize pressures.

While I do not desire to confine myself to any par-' ticular dimensions, I might state that ina working-modelmade by me, the box is made fifty inches long, corresponding to the length of the display case. The-width) of the box is approximately twelveinches' and the height The partition 12 is spaced eight inches away from the rear wall; and the horizontal partition 13 is three inches above the bottom of thebox; leaving the space 15 approximately one inch in depth.

case the box is made longer or shorter, depending upon the length of the display case,adjustments should preferably be made by the use of a larger fan, or of greater speed. However, if the'l'en'gt h of 'the'box becomes excessive for a single fan, additional fans might be used, preferably arranged in evenly spaced relation throughout the length of the box.

I claim:

1. A coil housing for refrigerated display case, comprising an elongated relatively fiat box having top and bottom walls and a rear wall and being open in front, the bottom wall being perforated near the rear wall of the box and substantially through the length thereof, a coil mounted in the front of the box and extending substantially through the length thereof, a horizontal partition projecting forwardly from the rear wall of the box at a height approximately three-fourths of the height of the box to provide a minor space above the partition and a major space below the partition, a vertical partition rising from the bottom of the box and spaced from the rear wall by approximately two-thirds of the width of the box, the two partitions being joined at their free edges to form a chamber over the perforations, and a fan revolvable in the horizontal partition and adapted to draw air through the perforations into the chamber and to discharge air into the minor space over the horizontal partition to build up a pressure area from which the air is made to spread forward for substantial uniform distribution through the coil, the latter having a grid mounted forwardly thereof to aid in the uniform distribution of the air over the length of the coil.

' -2. A unitary coil housing adapted for positioning in the top of a refrigerated display case, the housing comprising an elongated, relatively fiat box having top and bottomwalls and a rear wall joining the same and being open in the front, the bottom wall being generally imperforate but having a series of perforations near the rear wall of the box and substantially through the length thereof, a coil mounted in the front of the box and extending substantially through the length thereof, a partition within the box to provide an intake chamber communicating with the perforations and an outlet chamber communicating with the open front, and a fan mounted in the partition to draw on air from the perforations throughout the length of the box and to uniformly discharge the air over the coil throughout the length of the box.

3. A unitary coil housing adapted for positioning in the top of a refrigerated display case, the housing comprising an elongated, relatively flat box having top and bottom walls and a rear Wall joining the same and being open in the front, the bottom wall being generally imperforate but having a series of perforations near the rear wall of the box and substantially through the length thereof, a coil mounted in the front of the box and extending substantially through the length thereof, a partition extending lengthwise through the box and having a horizontal section disposed between the top and the bottom of the box and a vertical section intermediate the front and the rear of the box, the partition forming a suction chamber communicating with all the perforations and a pressure chamber communicating with the front opening throughout the length thereof, and a fan mounted in the horizontal section of the partition to draw air from all of the perforations with substantially uniform intensity and to create substantially uniform pressure in the pressure chamber for final discharge over the entire length of the coil. I

4. A unitary coil housing adapted for positioning on the top of a refrigerated display case, the housing comprising an elongated, relatively flat box having top and bottom walls and a rear wall and being open in the front, the bottom wall being generally imperforate but having a series of perforations near the rear wall of the box and substantially through the length thereof, a coil mounted in the front of the box and extending substantially through the length thereof, a partition extending lengthwise through the box and having a horizontal section disposed between the top and the bottom of the box and a vertical section intermediate the front and the rear of the box, the

partition forming a suction chamber, communicating with all of the perforations and a pressure chamber communicating with the front opening throughout the length thereof, and a fan mounted in the horizontal section of the petition to draw air from all the perforations with substantially uniform intensity and totcreate substantially uniform pressure in the pressure chamber for final discharge over the entire length of the coil, the bottom havg ing an opening therein and having a cover for the opening removably secured thereon, and the cover having a motor mounted thereon with the fan carried by the motor shaft.

5. A unitary coil housing adapted for positioning in the top of refrigerated display case, the housing comprising an elongated, relatively flat box having top and bottom walls and a rear wall joining the same and being open in the front, the bottom wall being generally imperforate but having a series of perforations near the rear wall of the box and substantially through the length thereof, a coil mounted in the front of the box and extending substantially through the length thereof, a partition extending lengthwise through the box and having a horizontal section disposed between the top and the bottom of the box and a vertical section intermediate the front and the rear of the box, the partition forming a suction chamber communicating with all of the perforations and a pressure chamber communicating with the front opening throughout the length thereof, and a fan mounted in the horizontal section of the partition to draw air from all of the perforations with substantially uniform intensity and to create substantially uniform pressure in the pressure, chamber for final discharge over the entire length of the coil, the pressure chamber having baflles disposed therein tending substantially throughout the length thereof, a partition within the box to provide an intake chamber com-1 municating with the perforations and an outlet chamber communicating with the open front, and a fan mounted in the partition to draw on air from the perforations throughout the length of the box and to uniformly discharge the air over the coil throughout the length of the box, the coil having a grid mounted forwardly thereof to aid in the uniform distribution of the air over the length of the coil.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,425,295 Morris Aug. 12, 1947 2,466,286 Stultz Apr. 5, 1949 2,601,765 Turquette July 1, 1952 2,608,831 Steelman Sept. 2, 1952 2,632,310 Kopp Mar. 24, 1953 2,633,718 Wile Apr. 7, 1953 

